What If
by Darkford
Summary: The human race splits itself, as each man decides what he thinks will let him live. What if you were kidnapped and put into eon-long storage, and awakened in a strange new world? Reine finds herself trying to cope with this strange situation. Complete. I hope you enjoy!
1. Devil's Pond

Deep inside the cavern beneath the waves, a small hissing sound could be heard from the air pocket formed eons ago. No inkling would have anticipated the strange evens that were about to unfold.

Momentarily, a capsule opened to reveal a girl not much larger than an average inkling. Her eyes, glowing like emeralds, fluttered open suddenly, and looked carefully at the surroundings. Her body tested itself calmly, hands fiddling, legs stretching, arms going round in circles in an attempt to shake off the dust of many years locked away forcefully in storage. Her hair, falling down to her feet, had not stopped growing; this she found as she looked at her reflection in the unfortunate excuse for a mirror; the glass of her cage.

Above her was a skinny hole, and the night sky held a great blood-red orb within it. It was a lunar eclipse, and the moon shone in a deadly colour.

Breaking down suddenly, she smashed the cage to bits, angry, though she did not know why. So many questions ran through her head that at long last she simply laid down and slept, awaking to the sound of birdsong.

She heard the birds, and a sudden hope filled her body. If birds could live, surely she could as well, if only she were to find a way out. Using a piece of glass to cut her hair, she trimmed it until it stopped at her feet instead of dragging everywhere. Surely, long hair may come in useful, and if not it could be cut off. She tasted the water experimentally, and found it to be fresh. She gulped down enough to make a normal person sick, then decided a bit too late to exercise some patience and moderation. Lifting herself, she found that above her was a tunnel to the surface, not far away; but unfortunately, she was too short to reach it.

Turning to her water source, she realized it connected to a larger body of water. The surface was only a few meters away; surely, if the tunnel was short, she would be able to swim her way up!

With a graceful leap, her body embraced the water and began a steady stroke towards the world above. Though for about three meters the waterway went down, the rest of the journey was a path straight up. Her head breached the surface, and with a heavy gasp, she struggled her way to a small islet in the center of the lake, where a tree stood. The lake was minimal, but it would serve her well. The water dripping away from her clothes in the mid-morning sun, she found herself so exhausted that she yet again fell asleep.

The lake was placed within a dense forest, and as the day wore on the girl was lucky to find herself within the only spot in which the sun shone constantly. Her breathing regulated itself as it got accustomed to the new oxygen levels, and her body recovered from a lack of proper nourishment. The water had done wonders, and she now began to feel rejuvenated - more so than she had in thousands of years. She wondered where people where now. Perhaps they had found another planet, or by chance figured out how to sustain themselves indefinitely upon those many ships sent into space in hopes of survival. The chaos, no matter how wild it was, was over. If any humans remained other than her, they were either very primitive in lifestyle or simply didn't exist at all on this planet.

She awoke again, and with a rub to her eyes and a rapid blinking, she found that she had slept much longer. She stood up and stared at her shadow, estimating the time.

"Around 1400 hours, year; 14122, day; Thursday, Weather; clear. Restoring memory..." her superiors had taught her to speak this way. Though they never spoke in a similar manner, she did not care. By now, they were gone, and she could live without having to retake the planet, as they had hoped.

 _...wait, what? Where did that thought come from?_ She thought, unsure. Maybe years of living in an underwater cave had finally gotten to her...

Suddenly, a rustling in the underbrush signaled the approach of another life form. With a deep breath she dove into the lake, and finding a place upon the other edge to hide, she made it her mission to stay there, unnoticed.

Three life forms approached, of startling description. Each appeared to hold a form quite similar to that of herself, but their heads bore tentacles instead of hair, and each bore a different bright colour. They talked rapidly in a strange yet familiar language, and the girl watched their every move as she drew information from her head.

Whispering to herself, she stated, "Species; Unknown. Derives similarities from homo sapiens and Cephalopods. Ink based. Gender; One female, two males. Language used; Japanese, Okinawan dialect." She was proud of her ability to pick up on even the slightest hints towards their nature and being able to recognize a language upon hearing a single word. She watched them, and using hints from their mouths and beak movement, she was able to pick out their conversation.

"Are you sure about this, Donver?" a smaller male inquired, looking to his larger counterpart. The large male simply laughed and brushed his way through the trees.

He replied with a simple statement. "When has that old coot Cuttlefish ever been sane when he said there was a danger of something? Remember the whole shenanigan with him trying to convince you the Octarians were invading?" The smaller male looked down at his feet, and the female patted his back gently. It appeared she favoured him over the large boy. The human was not surprised, by the feeling she was getting from the boy. He almost seemed different somehow. His beak was wrong, and she was careful to watch his movements. They seemed more stuttery and mechanical, almost broken, and every footstep left an impression upon the earth.

Momentarily, the female began to speak. "Surely, Donver, you can't mean to seriously have Iko touch the water?" she stared, terrified, at the water, as if it would kill her. Surely, these creatures needed water to survive! That was a basic necessity of life!

"Come now, Kala! I wouldn't put you in danger, would I?" he replied, staring deviously at her.

She backed up, but the human caught her whispering, _you'd hurt Iko, though..._

As the group approached the lake, she sat nervously in her corner. The three merely stared for a while.

"Devil's Pond sure is quiet, huh?" Iko said, staring fearfully at the lake.

"I don't care," Donver said angrily. "I just want to prove that water is harmless. We should stop being scared witless and touch it."

"I don't think this is a good idea..." Kala interrupted, but the two boys ignored her. Suddenly, with a violent push, Donver shoved Iko into the water. After a few moments the small creature came struggling to the surface, ink dripping away from his tentacles. He gasped desperately, and the human realized that the poor creature was dying.

With a swift dive, she swam beneath the struggling child, and pushing with all her might, she managed to hold it above the water, though only her wrists breached the surface. With a few kicks to keep herself afloat, she swung both her arms towards the shore and sent the boy flying. She swiftly swam around and caught her breath.

"What the..." Donver muttered, as ink dripped from Iko, who seemed to be desperately fighting for his life. She had made a huge discovery. Apparently these new-world creatures lived off of ink, not blood, and water harmed them. Of course, since ink spread in water, it was understandable; but it was still frightening. It seemed these evolved squid produced ink, as if humans could produce water and blood in large amounts. She refocused her senses, and decided she ought get a look at these creatures close up.

Swimming swiftly, she prepared herself and did a dolphin leap, breaching the water and twisting her body to look directly at the creatures. They looked shocked, and she could clearly see the similarities and differences between them. They appeared quite harmless, and Iko seemed to be healthy enough to stand, so she left the lake and moved on, eager to discover what else lay in store.


	2. Kala

The sun rose high that day before we awoke. Where I slept, I could hear the piercing snores of Donver, our roommate. My only other was a boy named Iko, who was practically the opposite. His quiet breathing was barely audible in the bunk below.

I didn't really belong there, but since the girl's dorm was discovered to have water content in the walls from a recent Inkfeller, there was no choice but for the girls to move in to the vacant rooms. Considering the male population was smaller than the female, this was quite a strain, but things worked out.

Iko groaned in his sleep, and rolled onto the floor, falling into his humanoid form. Being fifteen, we were all adaptable to our forms - squid and humanoid - but school meant that regretfully, we had never participated in turf wars. Even Donver was eager for the end of the year - which, funnily enough, was today.

All of our stuff had been moved to the lobby, so I got dressed and grabbed my things, along with Iko's, and returned. Placing the two bags down, I noticed that the boys had awoken. It appeared that Donver was convincing him to do something dangerous again. Iko was often being forced unwillingly into things - before I began rooming with him, I'd just assumed he was accident-prone, but now I knew that most of his injuries were from deadly feats Donver requested he perform.

As I watched, Donver was requesting his nuttiest thing yet. "You just have to touch it, not swim in it, you doofus," He taunted, as Iko cowered quietly, trying hard to be less noticeably afraid.

"B-but didn't professor Cuttlefish say stuff about how water, oh, y'know... _is acidic to our ink? And kinda melts us?!_ " Iko cried, already terrified of the idea.

"Come on, Iko! That old coot is a loon feeding people a pack of lies and you know it!" Donver shook off Iko's retort ignorantly, and quickly ran downstairs to grab his things. "I dare you not to come to Devil's pond! You'll see!" He cackled, and Iko was about to follow when I laid a hand on his shoulder and handed him his bag.

"Thank you, Kala," he sighed in relief, though he would still have to move it to his house. He was glad to have a moment away from Donver, even if it was only temporary. With a smile, they walked down and followed Donver together. After all, someone had to protect Iko from Donver's idiocy.

They were soon dropping off things at their respective homes, and Donver almost leaped into action as he dragged Iko towards the dense forests beyond Inkopolis. Kala had no choice but to follow.

Once they reached Devil's Pond, Kala began to realize that Donver was dead serious. She had thought he wasn't that stupid, but perhaps she was wrong.

"Are you sure about this, Donver?" Iko inquired, looking to his roommate in uncertainty. Donver brushed his way through some trees, laughing at the comment.

"When has that old coot Cuttlefish ever been sane when he said there was a danger of something? Remember the whole shenanigan with him trying to convince you the Octarians were invading?" I patted Iko on the back, but I was still angry at Donver. Why would he be so forceful? He almost seemed to be acting murderous, but Kala quickly threw the idea away. Presumption is what led to idiocy in the first place.

"Surely, Donver, you can't mean to seriously have Iko touch the water?" I announced, scared.

"Come now, Kala! I wouldn't put you in danger, would I?" he replied, staring deviously at her.

 _You've hurt Iko, though..._ she muttered spitefully under her breath.

As the group approached the lake, there was an eerie silence. The three merely stared for a while.

"Devil's Pond sure is quiet, huh?" Iko said, staring fearfully at the lake.

"I don't care," Donver said angrily. "I just want to prove that water is harmless. We should stop being scared witless and touch it."

"I don't think this is a good idea..." Kala interrupted, but the two boys ignored her. With a violent push, Donver shoved Iko into the water. After a few moments Iko came struggling to the surface, ink dripping away from his tentacles. He cried out desperately, and Kala gasped as she realized he was dying.

Suddenly, a huge ripple erupted from the water. He was lifted from the water, and with him two slender hands rose, holding him safely into the air. With amazing strength, the creature threw Iko back to shore, though his time in the water left him in a terrible state.

"What the..." Donver muttered, as ink dripped from Iko, who seemed to be fighting for his life. Kala merely stared at the water, before she shook herself back to reality and shifted Iko onto her back. Ignoring the strange occurrence, she dragged Iko all the way to a medical ward in Inkopolis, Donver leading the way.


	3. Discovery

The human was confused. These creatures she encountered had names. What was her name? At least she knew where she was - within a lake known as Devil's Pond - but beyond that, she knew nothing. Reluctantly, she realized that as the sun set, the only choice she had was to return to the underground cave for the night. Taking in a large breath, she dove, and found she easily made her way in.

It occurred to her that while she had no curfew, she ought sleep. Regardless, she decided to investigate her temporary home. It seemed to be that the walls were engraved with many images depicting the story of the land.

The first image was that of a great wave overcoming a great landmass, as humans cowered below. She was shaken, as she derived that she was indeed within a semi-apocalyptic future. It was obvious though that some creatures had survived the horrid tragedies that befell the planet.

The second image was that of a group of humans who hovered over an image depicting an anthropomorphic squid, much like the creatures she had encountered before. They seemed almost agressive, as if they wanted to eradicate the creatures, and were creating a strange humanoid weapon. One human, however, was working alone on another project.

The third image depicted a wealth of human things left for future species to find. Behind the sole human in the image was a large capsule much like that which she had been imprisoned.

The final image haunted her most. It was her, inside a capsule, held frozen in time. Above her head was a crown of sorts, a tiara, which glowed with energy. Below it, in a cramped dialect, were five letters.

Reine.

She did not know how exactly she knew, but she was certain it was intended as her name. Tired from the day of exploration, and without anything better to do until morning, she decided to sleep.

A sudden sound arose as she awoke, like the mewing of a lost kitten, yet higher and louder. She swam to the surface and threw herself onto land, only to find herself met by the same female she had met before.

A sound, barely audible, was emitted from the girl, but it droned into silence. Reine assumed the girl was screaming so high that she could not carry her speech. With cautious steps, Reine approached, watching the girl carefully. The girl continued to scream uncontrollably, and deciding she needed time, Reine sat down at the water's edge and dried off.

After almost an hour of the girl trying to recuperate, she slowly approached Reine. Turning to face the girl, the creature backed up, obviously frightened. Reine stood, and finding herself not much taller than the girl, she held out a hand. The creature stared at Reine's hand, then ever so slowly, reached out and grabbed it.

Reine gave the girl a gentle shake, and smiled as gently as she could. It seemed to get the message across, as the girl smiled back, though her face still showed creases of uncertainty. They stared idly at each other for a while, and then, deciding that standing would do nothing, the girl began to speak.

"I know, that- that coming here was probably pointless, since you probably don't know what I'm saying," she began, staring nervously at Reine. "But I wanted to thank you for saving my friend. My name is Kala. I- I just never thought that there was other intelligent life that lived. In water, too! You're, like, amazing!" she closed her eyes and gently fell to the ground, the emotions far too much for her.

"Umm," she muttered, twiddling her fingers nervously, "I-if you can understand me, if that's possible... would you follow me? My friend, Iko... he wants to meet you." Kala looked up at Reine with honesty in her eyes, and unable to think of a better idea, Reine nodded, and Kala led her through the forest.

The two found themselves at long last in a small area much like a park, but many different species lived there. Kala held Reine back, and debated momentarily over how to get Reine through unseen.

 _Unseen..._ Reine thought she had heard a phrase using that word before. _Was it possible...?_

Kala, noticing that her new found friend had begun to dig through her pockets, turned to find her fiddling wit a small device. It appeared to be a watch, but as Reine put it on and gave a small dial a twist, Reine underwent a shocking transformation. Almost instantly, she appeared as one similar to Kala - an inkling.

"Wha- Why didn't you say you could do that?!" she cried in a hushed voice, afraid of alarming passerby. Reine merely shrugged, and Kala gave up trying to solve mysteries. They would probably solve themselves at that rate.

They both approached a small, shrimp-like being, who asked in a stuttery foreign lingo for some train tickets. Kala handed two over, and they boarded to find the place filled with different species.

Reine was intrigued by the wealth of evolved sea life. It certainly was interesting, in the least, to see how the creatures behaved. The most populous were a small race of jellyfish-like beings who seemed to have an appreciation for fashion. Many held what appeared to be brochures for things like new hats and clothes. Squinting at some writing on the boards above, Reine derived the used written language to be a strange English, and realised that the same was used for the shrimp driver.

The only other species she saw in great numbers were the same as the one she disguised as. They called themselves inklings - this she retrieved from a forgotten corner of her database during the ride - and she was highly intrigued by them. By far they held the most similarities to humans, and they all seemed engrossed in some sort of strange hobby or need - most of them had, somewhere on them, a weapon of sorts. Perhaps there was something dangerous going on...

Reine found that the youngest inklings used a weapon that had a square barrel and a small handle. Otherwise the weapon types seemed evenly distributed; she noted how different inklings acted and what weapons they used. It would probably come in handy to know.

They arrived shortly in a bustling city. Reine stared at the city in an almost odd way. Kala stood by her side and placed one hand on her friend's shoulder.

 _Surely, that isn't..._ she thought to herself, suddenly remembering a place from her past. Her head throbbed, and she almost fell over, but Kala supported her. Reine could not rip her eyes away from what she swore was Shibuya Station.

She shook herself. Now was not the time. She motioned for Kala to continue their trek.


	4. Shenanigans

Well, Splat me.

So I kind of just need to recount something to myself here.

Yesterday, Iko nearly got killed by one of Donver's shenanigans, and some watergirl saved him, and now I'm walking with that watergirl - who can transform into an inkling - into the hospital to meet Iko.

What. The. Squid.

Well, whatever. This girl - whoever she is - seems very kind. Surely, anyone who saves the life of a stranger has to be. Anyhow, we were admitted to the hospital room, and the nurse left us to have some peace. I stared at the near-empty room, with sunlight streaming through the window, and Iko sleeping fitfully on his bed.

The watergirl stared at Iko, shedding her inkling form, in a very peaceful yet tired manner. It was almost as if she recognised him, as if she knew him from sometime before. She sat down on a chair next to Iko, and stared at him calmly. I decided he ought wake up, and with a gentle shake he turned to face us, his eyes blinking in the midmorning light.

"Hey Kala..." he muttered, still half asleep. Turning, he slowly began to compute what he derived from the girl sitting on the chair next to him.

Wait for it...

Any Second now...

"Hello, miss rescuer-person..." he muttered, and I nearly fell over.

THAT was his reaction to his awe-inspiring rescuer?!

The watergirl, however, nodded in approval, and smiled. For the first time, she spoke.

"My name. It is Reine." She said, though her voice was quiet and mechanical, almost as if she didn't quite know how to speak. Iko thrived in the peaceful nature of his rescuer and became much more talkative than he normally was.

"Thank you, Reine," he said, smiling as he lifted himself. The full extent of his injuries were visible; his tentacles were bandaged almost entirely. He was stuck in his squid form, and his eyes, tired, blinked rapidly. I noticed that Reine seemed almost thrilled by his appearance. She lifted him effortlessly out of the bed and placed him on her lap. Stroking his head, they seemed to almost naturally assume what the other was doing, and I merely stared.

For the second time this day; What. The. Squid.

At least Iko seemed to be enjoying the attention for once. Reine was smiling seemingly uncontrollably, as if stroking Iko's head somehow gave her a strange sensation of satisfaction. It was weird, seeing the two of them act like they'd known each other all their lives, especially since as long as she had known him Iko had been terrified of everything - so terrified that he had never been able to relax.

"Well, uh," Iko said, after dwelling blissfully in the attention for a few minutes, "what now?"

Reine looked to me, and I suddenly realized I had nothing.

At. All.

So. I guess she could live in my house or something. I live alone, after all, and I would assume she was female. Yeah, that would work. As long as she stayed in her inkling form it would be ok to have people over. Ok. That'll work.

"She'll stay with me, for now. I don't know where she came from, but until stuff gets sorted out, my place is probably our best bet." Reine smiled at me, as if accepting my offer. There. I did it.

"I nearly forgot, Kala," Iko said, distracting us. "Weren't you planning on going to your first turf war today?"

I mentally banged my head against a wall. How did I forget?! Well, I guess your friend nearly dying and discovering a new species is kind of a big thing, but still! The very definition of fun, forgotten! By the wayside!

"Well," I stuttered, thinking fast, "I- uh- wanted to play my first one with you 'n Donver... but I guess you aren't quite up to it yet, huh?" I said nervously, and Iko looked sadly down. I suddenly felt a huge pit open in my stomach.

"Not for another two months," He groaned, glaring at his currently useless tentacles. I didn't even know what to say, but I was saved by Reine.

"Turf... War?" she muttered, as if she'd never heard the words. It occurred to me that only inklings knew the joys of turf wars. Iko beat her to the punch and began to explain.

"Turf wars are the biggest sport ever," Iko began, and Reine listened intently. "All Inklings look forward to the day when they have full control of their two forms and they can participate."

"Turf wars are a basic version of Ink Battles, the source of all battle types," I jumped in, hoping to keep the motion going. "You basically have to shoot ink and cover more turf than the opposing team - and try not to get splatted. Mostly by splatting others. They get sent back to spawn when that happens." Reine nodded in acknowledgement, understanding my explanation.

"I," she said, choosing her words, "would someday like to see a turf war. It sounds interesting." Iko looked up at her, then at me. It was obvious what he was thinking.

"Well, I have to sort stuff out for Reine at home," I said nonchalantly, "But I'm sure that Judd will let you two watch from his judging seat. Especially if it was my first battle." Iko practically leaped with joy, and Reine smiled, quiet as ever, yet her image spoke a thousand words.

Just then a loud banging ensued at the door.

"Ugh, not Donver again," Iko groaned, and Reine quickly placed him back in his bed and transformed. Iko gasped, but said nothing, even as she hid herself in the corner of the room. She seemed unnerved by the mere thought of Donver, perhaps because of Iko's tone, but she glared even as Donver burst into the room.

"Iko! You won't believe the fun I had! Turf wars really are the coolest!" He yelled, garnering glares from the nurses. In the corner of my eye I saw Reine cringe and spear him with her eyes. She was still in inkling form. Grabbing a doctor's coat, she began slow approach as he spoke.

"-And then I splatted like, five people before the game ended and it was-" he was cut short as Reine covered his mouth, though he quickly broke free and turned on her. I noticed that Donver was much larger than Reine, even in her inkling form.

"Hey! I was telling an awesome story!" he cried, but Reine merely held a finger to her mouth and produced a hissing sound. Confused, Donver fell silent, and she smiled, seemingly satisfied. She then proceeded to sit on the chair next to Iko and acted exactly as a doctor would, as if she had done it all her life, though I was almost certain she was definitely not a doctor. It was good enough for Donver, however, and he didn't like it one bit.

"Anyway, Iko-" he stopped, noticing Reine's glare. Iko seemed slightly scared of the change in personality.

"So, uh, my turf war-" Reine had had enough from Donver. She rose, and grabbing the neck of his shirt, she hissed again. His eyes widened, then changed to a squinty stare. He seemed confused and vengeful all at once. He scrabbled at her face, and Reine sighed in exasperation. With a casual toss, she sent him flying out of the room.


	5. Home

Reine stared momentarily at the form she had thrown. He may have been large, but he was _not_ flexible. He groaned in his squid-like form and hung reluctantly around the door like a vulture waiting for a meal to die.

Reine was certain now. During the times she had made contact with Iko and Donver, the differences were so shocking that it was obvious they were different species. Her Jarkoj - a language created for 'inventions' like her - was rusty, but she was certain that Donver had understood. She turned back to her friends, Kala and Iko, and smiled gently before striking the door with her foot to close it. She heard a sudden yelp from Donver, but decided to ignore his health for the time being.

"Well, why don't we get you moved in, Reine?" Kala said, as Iko fell asleep. Reine nodded in agreement, and leaving the lab coat behind, they left. Reine noted that Donver had already left, perhaps to his own abode, and it occurred to her that these creature - no matter how different - would still have families.

"Ahh!" Kala yelled, apparently thinking the same thing. They rushed to Iko's house, aborting their original mission, to give the family the news before they called the police. Or whatever they had here.

Throughout the suburban neighbourhood were many fancy and complicated houses that met Reine's definition of upper-class. As they slowed down in front of a slightly smaller house, Kala confidently ran up and rang the doorbell, which reverberated through the door enough that they could hear.

"Come on, Come on!" Kala moaned, staring at the house's door hopefully. "You guys need to know this!" Reine looked around the windows and checked briefly inside the rooms, but could see nothing. It was awfully quiet, too...

Kala nearly gave up, but Reine decided to give it one more try, and with a strong twist she pulled the door open. Kala reminded herself that Reine was very strong, and walked inside with her.

The place looked abandoned, ransacked, even. Papers were everywhere, and the house was silent as a mouse. Reine investigated each room with a thorough mind, and derived that only one person lived there; Iko. Kala seemed not to notice, as she kept calling out for the family. Losing hope, they traveled to the basement, where they were met with a strange sight. Computers lay arranged in a geometric fashion, all working together to display a large image of the earth. Arrows pointed to scrolls and their respective locations.

"What _is this_?" Kala gasped, staring in confusion at the computers. "What are these monitors for?" Reine blinked at Kala with new found shock. So Inklings had never seen computers... Wait, that didn't make sense, this was an inkling's house!

Reine decided answers wouldn't come unless she messed with things, so she approached the computer and laid her hands gently on the screens. Finding that they functioned by touch, it blipped, then began to speak.

"Fingerprint not recognized," it stated, making Kala jump in surprise. Reine waited, and it continued, "Please place your hand upon the receptacle to identify yourself."

A square appeared, and placing her hand on it, a loading icon began to show. It quickly accepted the print, and allowed her to use the computer, but not before announcing itself.

"User REINE recognized. Please continue." The voice left, and Reine quickly adapted to the touch interface, swiping and tapping rapidly to access files and investigate. The language was Jarkoj, and she assumed that it was used to a certain extent in the inkling world, though she did not know why.

Her investigation proved fruitful. It held files on the world's functions, its history, even its inhabitants and their behaviours were listed. She discovered some personal files which detailed his lifestyle.

"He lives alone." Reine decided not to mention the files on Donver and Kala, since they seemed more personal and sensitive, but she noted to herself the affectionate writing used in Kala's and the angry feel she got from reading about Donver's actions.

"I, I never knew," Kala said, losing confidence as his friend. "I wonder why he didn't tell me."

"All have secrets, Kala," Reine replied. "It is a matter of whether they ought be kept, and for how long." She smiled to herself. Kala had nothing to worry about.

Together they left the haphazard home, and locking it from the inside so no one could enter, they went for Kala's medium-sized apartment nearer the center of town.

"Well, this is it," Kala said, exasperated. "My home. There's a spare room to your left, and the kitchen is just to the side of that, and on the right are my room, the guest room and the bathroom. Oh yeah, and this room is the rec room." Reine quickly settled herself into the new abode, placing some of her things which she had in her pack around until she finally just left the bag on the floor. She looked out the window and noticed it was nighttime, and for the first time since she awoke from her cage, she felt like she was home. She felt free. She let her hair fly haphazard. She...

She was hungry.

An aroma of a strange delicacy reached her sinuses, and compelled her towards the room designated as a kitchen. Kala laughed as Reine poked her head through the door.

"Catfish Burgers for supper," She said, pointing at the wok she was cooking with. "Hopefully it takes strides ahead of whatever you ate before. You look starved." After digging into what tasted like alfredo sauce mixed with a very tasty chicken salad stuffed in a burger, Reine was too tired to even tell Kala she was going to bed. She merely returned to her room and passed out.


	6. Friends and Turf Wars

My eyes groaned as I tried to face the morning light. I reminded myself that Inklings were not a morning people and ripped myself forcefully from the comfort of my bed, an ocean of pillows, blankets and stuffed toys. I knew it was childish, but Inklings do like their beauty sleep, and those toys were just perfect to cuddle.

Opening my window, I looked out on the plaza, bustling as usual with the faces of all sea life alike. jellyfish hung out on the benches and read magazines, Shrimp talked near vending machines, Inklings stood around Inkopolis tower to play turf wars and take pictures of the great Zapfish. It seemed so peaceful here, for a large city.

Yeah, like my life right now.

I heard a rustling sound in the rec room and jumped, before remembering that only the day before I had admitted a new member to my household; Reine. She was unique in so many ways, but as she peeked into my room, she appeared as nothing but a normal Inkling. Same tentacles, same hands, same fresh clothes, same...

Ponytail...

"What? Why on earth are you tying your tentacles, Reine?" I inquired, staring at her in confusion. She smiled sheepishly and explained in that monotone, cautious voice of hers.

"Humans consider ponytails to be an expression of femininity, and also use them to keep hair out of their line of vision for better function." She explained, though I merely slapped my head in response. I guess there wasn't a rule, exactly, but like waking up before nine, there was a general agreement that tying up tentacles was not something girls did. I explained this, and Reine considered for a moment before turning on the TV and pointing at Marie, a member of the squid sisters.

"If she can do it, why can't we?" She asked, and as I had no answer, she remained appearing so much like the fresh guys around no one would notice. Yet again, I am surprised by her customs and disguises...

I explained what we were going to do that day. "First, we ought go get some food, since I ran out yesterday," I began, Reine listening carefully. "We'll go for breakfast at the café, then I'll go for my first weapon and a turf war, then we'll get food and come back here to sort out what we'll do next." Reine agreed it was the best course of action, so together we left my apartment.

I was proud of its location. After only about ten minutes of walking we managed to find our way into the main plaza. Reine was garnering attention, but not for what we were afraid of.

"Hey, isn't he cute?" one girl asked, pointing.

"Yeah," another chuckled, "but he seems pretty confident. I doubt any of us'd stand a chance. That girl seems to know him, though." This kind of gossip surrounded us like a group of flies on a summer day. Reine ignored them completely, and walked into the café, which also happened to be the only one there.

A tall female shrimp welcomed us, and I waved back. Reine smiled, but from what I could see she suddenly felt a bit alienated. I sat down at one of the tables and she followed suit, making sure to imitate me as casually as possible.

I ordered us a large octo pie, and she seemed barely able to contain herself. I began eating, and she reluctantly began to eat with me, once she realised that the food was for the both of us. Her eating style made me feel messy, as she picked up the utensils and immediately began eating with better etiquette than me.

"Where did you learn to use a fork?" I asked, whispering.

"It is a... similar object to that which I used to eat before," She replied, unsure how to explain. "Many Inkling things, I have found, are heavily influenced by the species I am a part of. An extinct one, yes, but a functional one." She returned eagerly to her food, and I decided not to prod further into her supposedly 'extinct' species. We finished, and I decided it was time for me to get a splattershot.

We left the café, and Reine glanced around until I pointed out the weapon shop, Ammo Knights. We were met by the enigmatic horseshoe crab who stood next to a counter which was way too tall for him. He approached, and he instantly recognised that I was a beginner. He pulled two splattershots out from under a desk, and hurriedly rushed back, the weapon blocking our view of his face.

"Just starting, I presume? Please, take these. They're free." I grinned happily at mine, but Reine seemed confused, though she didn't refuse the splattershot. She inspected it, carefully looking at all the intricate parts, and I laughed.

"Let's try them out, shall we?" I asked her, and she nodded in acknowledgement. Sheldon lead us to the training area to test them out.

I filled mine with ink, them leaped out to shoot at the walls. Reine watched carefully, almost mechanically as she watched every move. She did the same, adapting into a squid form and filling her tank. Standing in front of the target, she aimed carefully, and seemed surprised when it didn't disappear immediately.

Soon, though, she seemed to understand, and after all three of the targets reappeared, she neatly got all three in record time, covering all the ground in the process.

"Why, bless my shell! I haven't seen a beginner skilled as you since...since...uh...forever!" Reine glanced at me in a panic, and stopped training for the time being.

Soon we were headed for Iko's room in the hospital, but before we could enter, A large TV turned on, and the Squid sisters came on for the news. Reine noticed my rapt attention being paid to the screen, and did the same.

"Goood Morning, Inkopolis!" Callie cried, performing her signature pose. Marie imitated with her own, and they moved on to the stages.

"First we have... Urchin Underpass!" Callie announced, and spontaneously a few groans came from rollers and Snipers, while shooter-users celebrated.

"And second," Marie continued, "Our next regular battle stage will be Blackbelly Skatepark!" They began announcing the ranked battles, but since I was only level one, I decided to stop watching, and together Reine and I went for Iko's bed, where he was playing squid jump.

As he completed the level, he turned to us and stared momentarily, deciphering our purpose.

"Let's go!" he cried, once I confirmed that I wanted them to watch my first turf war. Reine lifted him onto her shoulder, and together we left for Inkopolis tower.

As we approached, we saw Judd sleeping on a pillow in the plaza, preparing for the next turf war. We went up to him and stated our request.

"Meow! Mrrow, Mrow?(Sure thing, Kala! I know you've been looking forward to this. What about your friend?" he asked, pointing at Reine.

"oh, Reine will be standing out and sticking with Iko," I said, and Judd accepted it gracefully before leading us all inside.

As the teams were organised, Iko and Reine stood with Judd, watching the process. Soon we all felt a tug in our stomachs, and turning to squid form, we flew through cyberspace to the designated location; Urchin Underpass.

As each team spawned in, I looked around me, and noticed there were only two other players. Was it possible that my first battle had a disconnect?

Not a good sign.

"Mrow Mr-ow..(Not again...)" Judd groaned, as he looked at the teams. Reine noticed that Kala's team only had three people, while the other had four. From her database info, she had thought all battles were set at 4v4.

"MewMow.(We've been having a lot of disconnects lately. Reine, would you step in?)" he asked, and Reine nodded, looking to Iko for agreement. Iko super jumped to a cushion in the observatory above the match and smiled.

"No worries, Reine," he said. "I'll be fine here." Reine nodded, smiling, and Judd quickly set the system for Reine to participate.

"Hey!" Kala cried, when Reine spawned in, "Did Judd send you to join us?!" Reine nodded, then pointed to the countdown above them.

Three.

Two.

One.

The moment they could, they left the spawn and began inking every corner of the map. Everyone in the battle other than Kala and Reine were between level 4 and 8, and they were slightly scared that the two wouldn't pull their weight.

Reine, however, was a natural. Kala decided to stick with her, watching her back, but although a couple of times her hide was saved, her use of splat bombs and bubblers was incredibly advanced, and they quickly advanced to the enemy's side of the map. Soon though they had the entire enemy team trying to hose them down.

"We should retreat," Reine quoted, and I nodded, too tired to continue. Before we could, however, a blaster got behind us.

"Ha!" he cried triumphantly, readying his shot. Reine activated her bubbler and shared it with me before the shot hit, however.

"Agh! Freaking bubblers!" he got upset, and backed away, trying not to be shot. Reine suddenly stopped, lifted a finger, and pointed at the sky. I looked up with her and saw something no inkling wants to see.

Big, dark clouds floated in on the horizon, and a faint pattering could be heard far away. We didn't have much time to get away before the Inkfeller, and if we were outside, we would melt. Literally.

Most of the opponents tried to find shelter, and we soon rushed for an overhang near their base. Our bubblers ran out as we swam, and the sound became louder.

"I hope it isn't windy," one girl said, scared. her two pals ran with her, but the boy was left behind. It seemed he wasn't a good swimmer.

We stayed behind for him, and he made it with us to the overhang, but the space was cramped. There was only room for five.

"Where are our teammates?" I asked, looking at the map.

"They disconnected, too," One girl said, and I relaxed. At least they were safe that way. The boy rushed for the overhang, but the girls shooed him away.

"There's only room for five of us," she said, worried. "We need to find a place for the last person..."

"We don't have time for that!" He cried, obviously scared, but Reine patted him reassuringly.

"I will be fine. You five stay here." I recalled that she was immune to water.

"Reine's right," I murmured, walking to join the girls, and dragging the boy with me. They all protested, but Reine smiled at them so sincerely that they quieted as the Inkfeller came. They were all waiting for her to melt before their eyes.

The rain approached. Any moment now, Reine would be covered in the deadly liquid. Everyone shivered as the air became cold. We could cope if it was just the air, but it was still hard for us to stay warm. As the rain approached, Reine pulled out her watch and twisted it a few times, before smiling up at the clouds.

As she met the Inkfeller, the girls all closed their eyes in fear. They didn't dare watch as she was covered in water which drained down her face and body, embracing her. We were safe, and she began to giggle gleefully. The blaster boy had been watching, and he gasped in astonishment.

"NO. WAY. He's laughing!?" he called, bringing the three girls next to me out of their fear. They also stared, unsure of what to think. "Is he mad?"

"Reine is immune to water," I explained simply. "I don't know why Reine can be so, but I think it has to do with where she lived before." They didn't say a word, even as Reine watched the liquid go into her eyes and drip down her tentacles. Everyone felt unnerved by the discovery, but the boy finally got the courage to ask where Reine had lived before.

"Oh, we found her at Devil's pond," I replied, still engrossed in watching to make sure her immunity was permanent. "She seems to like water, really. I don't know why, but she seems to have a lot of mystery surrounding her."

The girls put two and two together, and one asked, "You said... she?"

"Uh-huh. I told her that she ought not tie her tentacles, but she refused, claiming that it was feminine to her or something. Doesn't matter." One of the girls looked at her feet in embarrassment, and I realized she was one of the girls who had been buzzing around Reine in the plaza. I patted her reassuringly, claiming that I didn't recognise her at first, and she recovered quickly.

As the rain stopped, a rescue team was sent in, and Reine ran off quickly to change into some other clothes. She returned in some foreign fashion which she had been wearing the other day.

"It will have to do for now," she stated, glancing at the thin sleeves and sandals, but everyone thought it way fresh. The rescue team arrived, and soon the girls were taken away.

"I'll stick with you guys for a bit," the remaining boy said. "I need to know more about this." He holstered his rapid blaster and followed us to the exit. It left us in the suburban part of town, undisturbed after they were found to be unharmed.

"We need to go see Judd and retrieve my friend," I explained to the Blaster-user. "Are you sure you still want to come along?"

"Yeah! The name's Terrance!" He introduced himself, giddy. "Yours is..?"

"I'm Kala, and this is Reine," I explained. "We're just going to see Iko."

"Then let's go!" He cried, running ahead.


	7. Mysteries

"Thank Squid you guys are ok!" Iko cried, nearly tripping over his bandages as he leaped into Reine's arms. Soon they returned to meet Terrance.

"So this is the guy you were talking about?" Terrance asked, looking at Iko with concern. "Hey, dude, you ok?"

"Yup, just a little damage," Iko said. "I need some time before I can start doin' turf wars." Terrance clicked his beak in pity before returning to see his new friends. He eagerly waited for them to explain Reine, but there wasn't much to say.

"Reine?" Iko asked, "why won't you tell us about yourself?"

"It is a very complicated thing, to explain myself," she began. "I am... the product of desire and hope. That is the best I can do. I do know, however, that my original purpose was a cruel and unfeeling one, and that I must resist the will of those who created me if I am to live unburdened by guilt." After this complicated speech was over, they all silently agreed to do some experimenting later.

"For now, let's get Iko back to the hospital," Kala decided, heading directly for the place. They all stayed silent until they got to his room.

"So," Iko said, once he was back in his bed, "What to do?" It occurred to the three watching him that he had nothing to do but play squid jump. Noticing the system, Reine squinted, then sorted through her backpack.

"What're you doing, Reine?" Kala asked, looking over Reine's shoulder. Her backpack seemed packed with a wide variety of all manners of things; too many to describe. But Reine went directly for a small pocket which held some small cartridges, and taking a few, she showed him how to use them. Once he had pushed one inside a slot at the side of the system, it beeped, and a new game popped up.

"There're more games than Squid jump?!" Terrance cried, shocked. "What have I been missing out on?!" Reine handed him one marked 'Kirby', and he gleefully placed it in his pocket once he realised that she wanted him to keep it.

"I'll play it first chance I get!" he thanked her, before watching Iko play the game Reine had given him.

"Thank you for helping us like this, Reine," Kala sighed in relief. "I know I've probably asked this before, but why are you helping us?"

Reine paused in her tracks and looked at Kala kindly. "Because that is what my father taught me to do," she said, much more animated than usual. "I may not be created for anything good, but that didn't stop him from teaching me how to do what's right." Kala realized for the first time, then, that Reine was very much more a person than she had originally thought; she had barely noticed that she had began to think of Reine in more of a mechanical way. This voice she used... it was different somehow, almost sad, yet there was a hint of life and hope in it.

"What did your father teach you?" Kala encouraged, curious.

"Three rules," she returned.

"One. Never make assumptions." Kala remembered how she had caught herself thinking of Reine mechanically, and drooped a little internally.

"Two. Giving gets you more than taking ever will, regardless of the nature of what you get."

"Finally," she ended, "The golden rule."

"The golden rule?" Kala inquired, throwing Reine a quizzical look.

"A rule that is to be followed without exception," She explained, though it seemed to mean a little more than that.

"Do unto others as you want done unto you." Reine smiled as the sounds passed her lips, her beak exposed.

Terrance noticed that Reine was going for her watch, and leaped back when she transformed into her regular form. Turning to Terrance, she explained her origins being non-inkling, but he still didn't quite understand. Regardless, he merely accepted that Reine was really weird, and moved on.

After they had made sure Iko was fully occupied, they left to go get groceries for Kala. Terrance decided it was his cue to leave.

"I'll catch up with you guys, ok? Tell Iko I hope he gets better soon!" he called behind him as he ran for the suburbs.

They waved, then left to the grocer's before the sun fell. As they left, Kala wondered something.

"Why, on that first day... did you rescue Iko?" she inquired, glancing at Reine. "I know you have all these rules and such, but where does that fit in?"

"My purpose is not a kind one," Reine said, confusing Kala. "but," she continued, "it is hard to counter if one is forced by the emotions chip to feel anger, passion, pain and sorrow.

"I want to be something more than I was intended to be. I had to create emotions to counter those in the emotions chip. Rescuing Iko conforms to the second rule. I gave him his life after he nearly lost it, and in return I got his friendship and the ability to feel pity, relief, and comfort. It allowed me to escape my purpose." Reine was still not telling Kala what her purpose was, but Kala decided it wasn't up to her to decide what Reine let on.

"I wish I could help you recover your emotions, too," she murmured, looking down at the ground as they walked towards her apartment.

"Perhaps you can," Reine replied, smiling. "I still have emotion data. I just need to trigger it. Music would probably do it." she thought carefully, then as if remembering something, she asked if there was a large area where they could play music.

"Yeah," Kala replied, happy to find something she could do. "We'll probably be able to go to Blackbelly Skatepark tomorrow since they just used it in the rotations today." Reine smiled, accepting the idea, and they arrived at the apartment just as things were settled. After a quick supper, they were both too tuckered out to do anything but sleep.


	8. Dancing Skateboards

The morning came, and unlike most, Reine was already awake. I turned to see my clock, distributed by the squid sisters research lab, indicate the time as 7 AM. Unheard of.

"Reine...what're you doing awake at this hour?" I asked, peeking around my door to see her cooking a small breakfast.

"You mean you don't get up at this hour?" Reine said, as if she woke up this early every day. "I may have slept in yesterday, but that was just lag from sleeping for much longer before. Now I'm awake, I need to bioregulate." She turned back to monkfish cakes she was making, and deciding not to argue, I took a nap on the sofa while she cooked breakfast.

As we were eating, however, I mulled over the meaning of her words. I was scared to go further into this 'purpose' of hers; she seemed to despise it beyond anything else. She had said something interesting, however.

"You said you were sleeping for a long time?" I asked, as Reine finished eating her monkfish cakes and went to put away the plates. She returned, plates in hand, and thought carefully about her answer.

"Have you heard about the great extinction 12000 years ago?" She replied, staring at me hard.

"Yes," I answered. "It's practically all we study in history class, other than geological discoveries." Reine nodded in approval.

"The ancient peoples were flawed," Reine began. "It was said a great wave would engulf the world once wickedness consumed them. And it did.

"They were too smart, however, to be defeated. They separated, each one deciding what would let them survive. Those who created me decided to send me into a sleep that would awaken me only when conditions were right for survival." She left, with the plates, and began to wash them.

"They were aggressive," she continued after a few minutes. "of course. All they wanted was to live. As the super being of this planet."

"Super being?"

"The greatest. The best. Zenith." She shivered. What was Zenith? "But Inklings and Jellyfish and Shrimp, they are now the super beings of this planet. Not us. I am fine with that; my species has no sense of planet responsibility, and that is what lead to the untimely demise of those who did not change." She wished to no longer speak about the subject, so I stopped asking. Instead, I inquired if she wanted to see if she could revive some emotions.

"Yes," She replied happily. "I have already set something up. We just have to go there." I was surprised; I had thought we would have to go through the system for some music tech, but it seemed Reine already had something up her sleeve...

Together we left for the skatepark, my skateboard under my arm and Reine carrying a backpack with her. I was curious as to how she would play music, but she explained on the way that while she could use the technology, her 'database' did not have enough information to understand or explain its inner functions.

We were welcomed by a familiar face, who waved at us, leaping around the skatepark.

"Hey-o, Fresh kid!" Terrance cried, dropping down and doing a swift move to stand in front of us, skateboard in hand. "What're you two doing today?"

"We're going to try and revive Reine's emotion chip," I explained, and Terrance smiled, though it was obvious he had _no_ idea what we were talking about. Reine seemed distracted by Terrance's skateboard.

"Where... did you get that?" she asked, staring at the board.

"Oh, this?" he said, lifting it up. "My friend from the research lab asked me to test it for him. It's working great!" He showed off his moves, garnering some attention from onlookers, but it was nothing extraordinary.

"You're not using it properly," Reine interrupted, and Terrance looked quizzically at her. She took the board, and shuffling a little, she placed both feet on the board.

Suddenly, the board began to whirr, and it rose a little off the ground. She quickly pulled off a few smart moves, twists and twirls, that made Terrance's jaw drop open. It was a bit too much for him to believe.

"May I borrow this for about a half-hour?" she pleaded, still standing on the board. Terrance nodded, still awed, and at her call I tossed her her bag.

Surfing through the contents, she dragged out a strange metal box, and handed it to Terrance. "Hold this," she requested.

Tossing the bag to one side, she hovered over to press some buttons on the box. Soon, a strange alien tune began to play.

"What's this?!" Terrance asked fearfully as the music became louder. Its sound was strangely sad, and a deep feminine voice rang clearer than any inkling voice could.

Reine was too preoccupied to answer. She seemed mesmerised by the music, as it reached her ears, and a smile twitched on her face. She slowly set the board moving, and as the song sped up a little, but she swung so peacefully and gracefully that others seemed to understand.

She stopped after a few minutes and returned to the machine. She was smiling now.

"oh, this next one is one of my favourites," she muttered, listening carefully as she pressed buttons on the machine. "It has been far too long." An odd tune started, but as it regulated, it seemed almost upbeat, and she practically danced with the board as she went around. A group of onlookers had gathered as she bobbed and danced to the music. Others around her wondered what was going on, but she didn't seem to care. The song slowed down and ended, and she went back to the board.

"One more then we can leave," she said, gleeful. "This is really helping. I really like this hoverboard, works perfectly." Terrance bashfully shied away, but approached again to let her play the next song.

"Yes, this is it! Meghan always has the best songs!" she muttered to herself, the sound changing to an upbeat tune. The voice was the same as the first one.

Now, a large group had formed, and they were amazed by the skill Reine had using a skateboard. She was pulling off moves no one had even seen before. In a way, she wasn't even skateboarding; she was dancing, and it was with a strange yet mesmerising beauty that she moved. It made me wonder about the secrets of her species. Surely there was more to her madness than method.

The song stopped suddenly. She flew over to us, as happy and animated as a fourteenth birthday. People began to walk away, realising she had stopped, but a few girls walked over to us.

"Hey, you there," one called, waving a skateboard. "Come over here for a sec! We wanna ask you something!" Reine turned to meet the approach of about four girls.

"Where did you learn to do that?" a shy, blue-tentacled girl asked, awe-inspired. She was the smallest of the group.

"I practiced," Reine shrugged. "It's a lot of fun."

"You can't have learned to do that just by messing around!" an orangey cried, hands on hips. her golden eyes glowed with the intent of dissecting Reine's secrets.

"I was trained," Reine claimed, beginning to walk away.

"You've gotta join us!" A pink-tentacled girl chimed in. The first one who had called them over shushed the group and began to explain.

"We," she proclaimed proudly, "Are a boarding group. Our team is known far and wide as the Rolling Forest." Reine idly listened as she packed up her music machine.

"We're the best boarders around," she continued, "and we pride ourselves in staying that way. But we're limited by our numbers, since there are only four of us, and there's a very strict process to follow to be inducted into our numbers." She moaned. "It's so strict that nobody wants to try."

"I couldn't," Reine answered immediately, before the girls even got around to asking. "I have lots of things to do. Research. Turf Wars. Etcetera." They all seemed crestfallen, but Reine had pity and smiled at the leader.

"I can't make any promises," she said, "but if you need me for something, then I'll try and help." They all began to thank her at the same time, and in the commotion we all managed to escape. Reine called to them to look for her in the plaza, before following us in an agile leap over the skatepark walls.


	9. Research

"Good Morning, Reine," Kala yawned, walking over to her new splat roller. She tossed it fondly into her pack, and turned to see Reine rise.

"Kala," Reine said urgently, "I would like to visit the Squid Research Lab today. I have some questions for them." She had already filled her pack with a large number of sunken scrolls.

"Where did you get those?" Kala asked, looking at the scrolls in amazement. There were more there than she had ever known existed.

"I woke up with them," Reine laughed. "Regardless, if I am to go to the Squid Research Lab today, I need to go now." Kala decided to forgo her turf war battles that day, and together they walked towards a studio at the right side of the plaza. Reine was dragged past the restaurant nearby into a shady alley, where a singular aluminum door marked the entrance.

"My teacher used to work here, and I figured out where it was from him," Kala explained. "Most Squids don't know where it is." Reine nodded in approval and confidently went inside.

The indoors of the Squid Research Lab was crammed with formal squids going about their business. The room they were in seemed strangely spacious, and Reine looked around at the walls where glass pathways ran up above, and at the many tables below where inklings and other sea life alike at lunches. The restaurant even opened into the research lab as a sort of cafeteria.

"So that's how they're still running after shutting down for two months," Kala mused, and Reine shot her a quizzical glance.

"Callie ran a car into it a few months ago and they had to do repairs on the seating area for ages." Kala whispered, though Reine thought she was plenty loud anyway.

A tall horseshoe crab approached the pair, unsure, but once they stated their purpose he welcomed them in. They were dragged into what looked like an advanced library, altered to house thousands - if not millions - of sunken scrolls. Reine looked around in wonder, and while Kala seemed all but desperate to get away from a place that looked like a schooling torture facility, Reine looked as if she was in heaven.

"Mind if we have our researchers scan those scrolls you have?" He asked, hopeful.

"If you can get someone to answer a question of mine, I'll do better. I'll give them to you." Reine replied in a friendly manner. He grinned in excitement and listened patiently to Reine's question.

"I want to know how inklings react to water." The horseshoe crab looked slightly crestfallen.

"We have a scroll that seems to explain that, but we can't decipher it. It seems to use a different language from the others." Reine requested the scroll be brought to her, and he quickly acquired a copy of the scroll. She glanced at it momentarily, lookign eagerly at the words, and smiled in satisfaction.

"Perfect," she muttered. "this means I was right." She returned the scroll to the horseshoe crab, but not before he realized she could read the language.

"Wait, hold up, kid!" he cried as they began to leave. "You can read this? This language?" Reine smiled back with a face that told him yes.

"It is called Jarkoj," she replied to the man. "I believe that it is a language specifically for octolings, although I cannot say for sure."

The horseshoe crab ran back to her, and with hope glowing in his eyes, he asked her, "Please, Sir, you've got to help us translate some Scrolls! Even just a few!" Reine considered for a moment. Kala was certain she would refuse, since Skateboarding and Turf Wars had her preoccupied, but the answer was less disappointing.

"If I have another question," She stated, "I will return and translate scrolls I believe hold information I need. Your library here is significant, so I don't think that time will be too far away." The horseshoe crab thanked her profusely, gladly accepting the compromise.

"My name is Hector," he stated happily. "If you come back, please ask for me, and I will help in any way I can." With a wave, Kala and Reine were off to Kala's original destination, their errand complete.

"Hey-o! If it isn't my main duo!" Terrance called from outside Inkopolis tower, running over to the pair. He garnered attention from all corners of the plaza, not just because of his overly-loud nature, but because of who he was calling to.

Reine had already become semi-famous, both in turf wars and in skateboarding. She had climbed up to level six, and was already competing against level thirties. What people recognised her for, however, were the skateboard she had in her backpack and a small symbol on her bag. Roller Forest had called on her a few times, and people already found her an astonishingly skilled boarder. The only problem was...

"Hey! That's Rei, isn't it?! Isn't he that super skilled guy that jumps in for Roller Forest occasionally?" One girl cried, setting the plaza into absolute chaos. Yeah, there was that.

Reine slipped into the crowd unnoticed and returned wearing her tentacles out. No one even noticed that anythign had happened, though no one recognised her anymore, letting them get to the lobby so they could escape.

"Sorry, Guys," Terrance sheepishly apologised, hanging his head. "I was too loud again, wasn't I?" Reine laughed good-naturedly, indicating she was alright, and they walked in for a battle.

Judd recognised the three immediately and casually strolled over to Reine, who obliged to let him sit in her arms while the battles were set up. He purred contentedly as the lobby filled, since Reine was stroking him, in a similar way to that of how she treated Iko. Judd seemed to have developed a fondness for her, much to the discontent of some players who were on his bad side.

The battle connected, and as they began, Kala was placed on the opposing team, while Terrance and Reine were on another.

"Drat," Terrance muttered, garnering the attention of the two girls who were on their team.

"Drat what?" one asked, her starry yellow eyes promoting her tenta-do.

"Yeah, anything wrong with us? We're some of the best players in Inkopolis, if I do say so myself!" The other chimed, her black make-up a little messy from battling.

"No, not at all," Terrance protested, blushing. "Really. It's just our friend is on the opposing team."

"Oh, I see," the other said, adjusting an accesory on her head. Her tentacles changed colour to pink, and theirs did to. The opposing team switched to Blue, and they waited eagerly for the battle to begin.

The countdown appeared on a screen above them, and everyone tensed as they felt the battle begin. A fizzing sound was heard in the distance, however, and suddenly their opponents were gone.

"Not this again," the black make-up girl cried, as the entire enemy team was gone. "Now the battle will stop!"

She was right, in a way, but it wasn't what was about to happen.


	10. Squid Sisters

The lights in Walleye Warehouse suddenly shut off, and the only source of light was the spawn point and miss black make-up's pocket.

"The power is out," hair-accesory muttered, before showing her hand to the other girl. She was handed a splatfest wristband, which glowed in the darkness. The girl went around the group, handing out bracelets, until everyone had one secured on their wrist.

"You kept these from splatfest, Agent 1?" the hair-accessory girl chimed in annoyance, looking at her friend.

"Look, Agent 2, they came in useful! See? Just...Don't ask." The one known as Agent 1 seemed a little peeved, but the two said nothing more of it.

"Anyway, we need to find the source of the blackout or at least do something, or else we'll be stuck here," Agent 2 proclaimed, leaving the spawn. Agent 1 and Terrance saw no reason to dawdle either, so Reine resigned herself to following.

"It's...awfully dark..." Agent 1 mused nervously, glancing around. Terrance seemed equally frightened, but it seemed that being around the girls made him try to be a little more manly, as he stood tall and tried to brush off the uncanny feeling they were getting. Reine stopped suddenly, making the whole group wait, and very slowly, she pulled a splattershot from her back and a pair of goggles. Putting them on, she glanced around and focused on one particular spot.

Suddenly, she began to hiss in a high-pitched tone, and a scurrying told the group that she had just scared off someone. She turned to the group with a serious expression.

"Octolings, you three. Draw your weapons, and be very careful-" she was cut short by a scream from Agent 2, who had been grabbed by the intruder, though she was fighting with all her might to keep herself from being pulled away.

"Teg yaaw morf rhe!" Reine called, shocking the octoling, whose octoshot was pointed at Agent 1 and Terrance. "Noe Mveo nad lilllik oyu!" Reine pulled the splattershot from her pack and aimed it straight at the octoling. The octoling looked angry, almost infuriated by the action, and without hesitation began to shoot haphazardly at Reine.

"Watch out!" Terrance yelled, As he was about to send his roller down on the Octoling, but she was already gone. All that remained was a diluted puddle of dark magenta ink and a pile of electronics. Reine put away her splattershot, which was filled with water. The Agents glanced at each other worriedly, then moved in on Reine.

"Where did you get that weapon?" Agent 1 asked, seriously.

"Having water-based weaponry is illegal." Agent 2 continued, her eyes hard as stone.

Reine smiled. "The Splattershot is one of my own creations, and since I reviewed the rules book just yesterday, I'm pretty certain there are no rules in place about water-based weaponry. This is just for emergencies anyway, and it's designed specially for octolings. The most this would do to an inkling is annoy him slightly." The agents discussed on their own for a few minutes, as the power slowly came back on, and after a few minutes Agent 2 approached and whispered something in Reine's ear.

She frowned, but nodded, and the two agents sighed simutaneously. Taking off some of their accesories, Terrrance could only move his jaw uselessly as they were revealed as the squid sisters.

"B-b-but...!" he exclaimed incomprehensibly when they finally stopped laughing at him. Callie, or agent 1, slapped him playfully on the back.

"Did you think the stars of Inkopolis didn't have their fun?" she asked, grinning at him. He could merely stare in awe as one who was undoubtedly his idol stared him in the face.

"Thank you for helping us," Marie said, removing her guise of Agent 2. She smiled a rare but sweet smile at the two, and after Terrance thought he could walk again, they moved for the spawn point to try and return to the plaza.

Reine was fascinated to find that the two were retired protectors of Inkopolis, and from the sounds of it, they were skilled players and octoling hunters. She detected a sort of intelligence in Marie, as if she understood everything about the world, while Callie seemed like...well, Callie. They described their exploits as they waited for a sign of reactivation, but Reine was most interested in a girl known merely as 'agent 3'.

"She's real mysterious, but overall a very nice gal," Marie summarized, when Reine asked. "Her skills are unparalelled, and it was a real shame when she left. Said she had life problems to take care of, but I think she was just tired of being a hero." She sighed gently, as if she longed to see her, but it was a very unemotional and calm sigh, so Reine passed it off as mere fancy.

"She was real fun, though," Callie chimed in, Terrance listening quietly at the edge of the group. "always knew how to cheer people up or the best games to play." A loud beep came from spawn, indicating it was up and running, so the squid sisters reassumed their alter egos and swam into the ink, Reine and Terrance obliged to follow their example.

They reappeared in the plaza, and after a quick goodbye, they parted ways. Terrance seemed a little nervous, as if he wanted to say something, but Callie said it for him.

"Come by the studio sometime, Cutie!" she called back to him, and he fell over in a dead faint. Reine sighed, and resigned herself to carrying him outside, where Kala was waiting for them.

"What happened, you two!?" she asked worriedly, upon seeing Terrance.

"Just an Octoling," Reine replied. "Quickly dispatched. Terrance here had his eyes on one of the girls, and I think that's what caused him to faint. It's not every day a girl invites you to her house." Kala was wide-eyed as the situation was explained. She seemed frightened that an octoling had been found, but there was nothing they could do about it, so they walked Terrance back to his house and finished up business for the day.

Reine had taken over food duties, thankfully for Kala, and as Reine prepared a supper of Inkberry pie, Kala mused over something that had been on her mind.

"Reine, why haven't you switched out your gear and weapon yet?" Kala asked, finally deciding not to worry about things.

"I.. well..." Reine began awkwardly, and for a moment Kala regretted her words.

"I heard you had to be 'fresh' to access the shops, and I don't know if I'm fresh enough yet." She looked at herself, as if trying to figure how fresh she was.

"Trust me, you are," Kala assured her friend. "tomorrow, we shop for some new stuff. And I mean ASAP." And with this over and done, she dug into a piece of Inkberry pie, hoping some good clothes would be available.


	11. Fresh or not?

"A new morning means a new look!" I called as Reine made breakfast, "Don't forget!" she muttered some half-hearted response and I slapped my forehead in exasperation. What was there in Reine's head? She didn't care about Turf wars, she didn't care about fashion, she didn't seem to care about anything!

"Let's go," she smiled as we finished breakfast. "I can see you're eager to get going." Just my luck. She's only having enthusiasm since I have enthusiasm. I have to infuse the excitement within her before I let her out into the world, or she's going to find herself utterly creamed by the trends and she'll never wear anything fresher than a basic tee...

"C'mon, cool kid, this way!" I directed, trying my hardest to get her to the shops faster. The faster we get there, the faster I can help her not look like an idiot.

"We'll start at, uh, Shrimp Kicks! Why not!" I decided, practically dragging her inside. She muttered something under her breath, but followed me into the shop obediently.

All around were different styles and kinds of shoes. At the forefront of the store were some one-star gears that she thankfully ignored, and the second star gear section didn't make her flinch, either. Three-star it was - if Crusty Sean would even let us buy stuff that high-quality.

"Hey, Squiddos!" he called from a desk in the back. "Up early, are we? I just opened the shop!"

"Yeah, but Reine here needs a makeover and fast, before sh- uh, he looses his reputation!" I saved myself quickly, hoping the shrimp didn't notice anything.

Sean looked over from a small box with a pair of shoes in them and glanced at Reine before doing a double take.

"Hey, aren't you that skateboarder who been making the news recently? What can I do for ya?" he turned, still holding the box, and Reine paused, thinking what to say.

"I... would like something that you think will be popular with the skateboarding crowd. I haven't been keeping up with the trends as much as I should have." she admitted, and Sean handed her the box immediately. Inside were some Limited Edition Lo-tops from Zekko, and she seemed satisfied with those.

I didn't even have a chance to pay before Reine was in and out of the store. She quickly decided to put on her new shoes, ripping of the unnecessary tags and bits. They looked pretty sweet, and I almost wanted to get some myself. Good enough for me, good enough for fresh kids, I guess, so we moved on to Jelly Fresh, the shirt store.

A really snazzy Jellyfish was at the counter, and he was shocked when someone came in at eight in the morning. Again - before nine was unheard of. He turned to serve us, and recognizing Reine, he quickly showed my friend to the fanciest shirts and sweats.

"This sweatie very fresh, Rei. Main ability Defense up, three slots, all squids wanting!" He pitched, pointing to a pink retro sweat. I reminded myself that Reine did not seem to like pink at all, and she seemed disinterested by the design of Judd on the front. She walked over to a corner of the store where they had some low-stock items, and found a tee which she seemed to have her heart set on.

"White Anchor Tee, some like, some no like," Jelonzo explained. "Squidforce not freshest brand, but Ninja Squid very good ability." Reine smiled, and seeing Jelonzo's conviction that he had convinced her to buy something more expensive, she quickly purchased the discounted item.

"I must say, the White Anchor tee does match your Lo-Tops." I whispered, as stray inklings began flowing into the plaza. We were headed for my least favourite store, and I wasn't looking forward to it.

Cooler Heads held bad memories for me, and not just because Moe was there to be a jerk. Sometime between the period when I started playing and I began to catch on to what was popular, Annie began to act coolly to me, and I could barely get in to buy anything. I had to get practically everything from Spyke, and that was not really where I wanted to go for stuff. No telling what he'd do if I ended up with not enough money, and his stuff is pricey.

Reine walked in confidently, and I felt obliged to hang back. I was still not feeling confident about hanging around.

"LOSER ALERT!" Moe cried as the two of us walked in. Annie murmured something under her breath as I walked in, but quickly shut up once Reine walked in. I recalled she was a skateboarding fan, and soon she was all over him.

"We-welcome to cooler heads.. And Stuff.. Can I help you...?" She asked. This was the shy charm that overrode the common sense of many a squid, and won her the attentions of many unwanted eyes. At least Moe helped reduce those.

Reine stared at the lot of hats which went from floor to ceiling. She was taken aback by the numbers, and soon she found herself asking Annie. I was peeved to see how graciously she acted, even when Moe was being a jerk to Reine. Annie seemed to like her a million times more than me, and I had no idea why. Weird.

After purchasing a hat from Annie, Reine asked her a quick question that I didn't quite catch. Annie seemed taken aback, then apologized constantly, and whispered something back.

"COME TO PROTECT YER BUDDY, EH? GET OUT!" Moe called, but Annie had had enough. She pulled Moe out of her hair and put him in a bowl of sorts, where he cowered for the rest of the day silently. I knew this because it was in the news. Moe never leaves Annie's hair coral. Ever.

"What did Moe mean back there?" I inquired, hoping to get some insight on what had happened between Annie and Reine.

"I asked Annie why she was acting so coolly towards you, and Moe got angry. I guess anyone could, but he can get pretty harsh." She kept walking, but I wasn't satisfied.

"What'd she say, then?" I asked, rubbing my hands together. "I'm tired of having to visit back alleys to get hats."

"That's it, actually," Reine replied, adjusting her jungle hat. "It seems that Annie has something of a- ok, a huge crush on this guy you get ahts from, and she convinced herself that you were stealing him from her," she explained, and my jaw dropped. Annie? Like, in love with Spyke the Snail Addict? What had the world come to?

Regardless, I felt that Reine was pretty much set for a while, so I pulled her over to explain what we needed to do.

"Firstly, we need to get to level 10 so we can start ranked battles," I told her, eager to begin. She stared awkwardly at me, but said nothing.

"Once Iko recovers, I want us to make a Squid Squad. Like a set team for ranked battles. Anyways, you're going to help me at least get it started, so I need you to be level 10 ASAP so that we can get started right as soon as Iko can fight with us." I looked at her, and she merely nodded.

"Who'd be the fourth member?" she asked.

"Terrance," I said, smiling. "It would be perfect. My Roller, Iko's charger, Terrance's blaster, and your..." I trailed off, then gasped. I can't believe this. I forgot to have Reine get a new weapon.

I dragged her urgently to Sheldon, calling for him to get some of his most popular shooters ready. He complied before we were in the door.

"A new weapon for my friend here, yeah?" he asked, pointing to Reine. I nodded. "Whatever she chooses, just as long as it isn't a splattershot. I can't have her being stuc with the Jr all her life." Reine looked at all the weapons closely before setting out three shooter classes.

"Interesting," Sheldon said, looking at the sets. An N-Zap 89, an Aerospray RG, and a Custom Dual Squelcher lay on the table.

"The only one you can buy right now at your skill level is the N-Zap, Rei-" While I'd talked, however, Reine had bought a Custom Dual within the blink of an eye. Sheldon saluted as we left. I put two and two together.

"So, you're going to tell me that you're level eighteen and you haven't bought a new weapon or new clothes until today." I asked, serious. I thought I knew my answer. I didn't.

"I'm level 32 right now," she said, making my jaw drop. "I liked the splattershot Jr, but if you say I need a new weapon, I may as well..." she seemed a little miffed, but regardless, I was glad I at least got her to buy some fresh clothes and weapons. If I didn't, she'd have probably maxed out with her basic stuff...

"Well, for today we should probably practice," I said, waving a new carbon roller. "we're going to need skill if we're going to get anywhere. And I need level 10." I added, before shooting off.

How embarrassing. I wasn't even level 8 and the friend I was ordering around was already level 32? I wondered how Donver was doing by now. Probably level 11 or something. Bummer. It doesn't help happiness when everyone around you is better than you. I practiced until sunset, making my way through battle after battle, and by the end I was level 20. Thank Squid. At least I wasn't going to embarrass myself so much anymore.

I came home to the smell of some delicious plankton soup, and we ate in silence. Once I was done, I noticed that Reine was already washing the dishes. Was she always this fast?

"I like that weapon you got me," she said idly, as she scrubbed the remains of our dinner off my crockery. "I got used to it pretty quick. I just need to stop myself thinking of it as a shooter, and I'll be good to go. How about you?"

"My Carbon Roller is working wonders, but I forgot I didn't oneshot people by running over them a few times. Regardless, I'm level 20 now," I stated proudly, and a wicked grin spread across Reine's face.

"Just you wait," she replied, her face suddenly breaking my nerves. "Level 34 takes much more time than level 20. You still have a ways to go." I shuddered. Since when was a non-inkling teaching me about turf wars?

Reine remained silent for the rest of the week while we practiced. After about a few days of the same food, I decided to approach her.

"I saw Donver today," she mused, changing the subject before we began to speak. "He seems to be struggling with something." Ok. This was more interesting.

"I... think there's something more to him than we're seeing." She went back to washing the same dish four about an hour. I had never seen her this dazed before. Perhaps something was bugging her.

"If you're wondering, he's always been a real jerk," I said, hoping to snap her out of la-la land. It did, but not in the way I was expecting.

"He was going under Inkopolis," she murmured. "Octo Valley. Who knows what he'd doing down there." She shivered, and I could only imagine what she was thinking.

That night, I couldn't sleep, and deciding it wasn't worth trying, I opened my window, only to see proof of what Reine had claimed. I saw Donver's hulking form change to something smaller, and he quickly disappeared into a grate at the corner of Inkopolis Tower.

This is getting weird.


	12. Donver

"I swear, sir Cuttlefish, I'm telling the truth!" Donver called desperately. Her wasn't really expecting a friendly welcome, but of course, messy business like this never did go to plan.

"Bucko, I should've seen you for what you were ages ago," he growled. "I should set agent 3 on you. No, even better - I should do this myself! Agent 3 had enough trouble with Octavio!" he pulled his walking stick on Donver, and not for the first time that day, Donver felt like he deserved better.

Sure, his story wasn't a nice one. Built by humans to wipe out Octarians and Inklings alike, he was sent out in this strange future to cause a war; but when both sides managed to live - twice - being touched by agent 3 brought his emotions chip online, and now he had the power to refuse the system telling him to start wars.

Agent 4, a sweet young girl with delicate cyan tentacles, cowered inside the small shack Cuttlefish called home. Her baby-blue eyes stared fearfully into Donver, and he felt ever so nervous as he tried to convince the rickety old war hero that he was there to help. He longed to reach out to her, though he did not know why.

It was at times like this he wished Iko didn't exist.

That human - that guy - he had done Donver's job for him this time. Setting Octolings loose from jail. Letting them corrupt his leader once again, into stealing the Zapfish and hurtling the planet into chaos once again. It was all his fault this time, and now, just because he had no control a century ago, he was being blamed for nearly starting the disaster that would start the human downfall all over again.

Donver couldn't bring himself to just straight-up murder him. No, that was too violent and too hard for his code to handle. After all, he was agent 3. He did release the emotions chip which let him stop trying to kill the world. But regardless, the little guy had to go, and he needed Cuttlefish to help him stop the next war. Already he could feel the hum of Octoling activity below him. Only two weeks ago Reine had dispatched one who was trying to hack the system.

Donver didn't get Reine. She was a smarter Inkling than most, and seemed to know more than she should - no, she's probably just another Octoling. But a smart one. Who is willing to kill comrades to complete her purpose; utter destruction. Yes, that had to be it.

"Sir," he proclaimed. This was it. he wasn't going to live anyway, so he may as well prove himself in death. "I know you don't believe me. I've had my fair share of sins to feed that fire," he moaned, "but I want to help protect the inklings and the Octarians. It's those damn Octolings, programmed graffiti on the Octarian name, which caused this horrible mess in the first place."

"You are an Octoling," Cuttlefish stated, raising his Bamboozler.

"Octolings are machines. I was able to hack my own system and revolt." He confessed, and at this, Cuttlefish scoffed.

"Then water will kill you. It don't kill inklings or octarians, but if what you say is true..." He pulled a small object, like a super soaker, from his pocket, and with a pull of the trigger, Donver accepted his fate.

A loud boom sounded as the inner electronics of the machine crackled. The left leg fell off lifelessly, and with a few crackles, all that was left of the Octoling was a pile of wires and metal and processed ink. Cuttlefish looked on in shock.

So they boy was telling the truth.

Agent 4, Agent 3's niece, approached cautiously, looking concerned for the machine. It was times like this that Cuttlefish regretted his life choices - but it was all in a day's work protecting the Inklings of Inkopolis. She blinked away tears as she held the last powered wires in him in her small hands.

"You've realized he was telling the truth, then?" A clear voice rang, and Cuttlefish raised his head to see a tall girl, seemingly of a race long forgotten, standing before him.

"I am Reine," she stated, approaching calmly. "I am a human modified by the survivors to do their bidding, even in their death. As Donver was, I refused the directions of the system, although it was mostly thanks to chance that I could in the first place." Cuttlefish stared up at the towering figure. Sure, she was not much larger than a regular Inkling, but Cuttlefish's age did not let him be any taller.

"Miss, will you help us fight in the stead of this traitor to the Octoling cause?" Cuttlefish asked, looking up at the human who stood before him.

"I would have even if you hadn't asked," she replied, pointing to a Dual Squelcher attached to her belt, "but as my most effective plan includes your co-operation, that is convenient." She turned to the kettles that lay strewn about Octo Valley.

"I must first stop the source of the wars from starting another. Then, once I recover him, we will prepare for a final war against the Octolings. Once we eradicate them, perhaps the Octarians and the Inklings can finally sort out a peace between themselves..." Cuttlefish looked hopefully at the holographic sky hopefully for the first time. This girl, though only having spoken for a few minutes, had already gained his trust, and now her voice and talk of peace filled his stomach with hope. His old friendships might return, and he would have something more than war to think about in his old age. Something worthwhile.

He thought of agent 3, agents 1 and 2, his grandsquids, and sweet young agent 4. Now they had hope to be kids for once, to really enjoy life.

He attacked the project with a new gusto. He was ready, now, to begin the true final battle.


	13. Sibling Revelry

Reine walked casually as possible towards the hospital, hands in the warmer attached to her Sweater. Since she had come to this world, her suspicions had been constantly reinforced. Now she had Donver down as an Octoling, she was even more convinced that her deductions were reality.

She had known from the start she wasn't the only one.

She climbed the stairs, approaching the room which housed her line of inquiry. She quietly peeked through the looking-glass embedded in the door to see Iko talking to his doctor. He was still injured, supposedly.

"Iko, you can't hide forever," a sweet young crab told him. "Kala will find out eventually. You should just tell her you're a human and get on with life."

"I couldn't," He snapped, assuming his human form and towering over her. He sighed and forced himself back on the bed. "she'd get involved in this stupid war I caused. Argh!" He banged his head against the wall until the doctor managed to drag him away. Reine decided it was her time to jump in, and swiftly opened the door.

There was a moment of silence as Iko computed her presence. With a tired appearance, he lay down, turning away, and Reine sat down next to him. He cried for a while, before looking back to her. A desire to speak played on his lips.

Finally, he gave in. "Hello, big sis."

"Hey, lil' bro," Reine giggled, happy he had given in without challenge. He wasn't normally an aggressive person, but he could be very protective if he wanted to.

He suddenly broke down in a flood of tears. "I-I I didn't m-mean to do anything t-to hurt p-people! I didn't want to do t-these things! Ohh, Reine, what am I supposed t-to do?!" He sobbed in her sweater, and she let him recover before he explained.

"I-I let a-an Octoling girl out of prison," he confessed, wringing his hands. "I never should have done it. I never should've..." he looked at his feet.

"Why are the Octolings trying to cause a war, Reine?" he asked, and Reine became serious.

"They're machines," she replied, looking out the window. "They are here to keep us in check, to help fuel the human cause. A deadly cause." she shook her head. "A few have managed to revolt against the system, but most will have to be exterminated." she stood at the window, and the wind tossed her hair, making it stretch out across half the room.

"Iko," she started, gaining his attention again, "I don't want to ask this... but I have no choice. I need you to help me fight those corrupt machines. I need you to help me regain peace for these wonderful creatures." The doctor, obviously aware of humans, shivered in a corner. Iko nodded solemnly.

"Good," she replied. "Just... for now, stay safe. I'll call on you when the fight begins." With silent agreement, Reine left the room, leaving Iko to mull over what he would need in the fight.


	14. Friends at Arms

"G'morning, Agent 3! Nice of you to stop by!" Cuttlefish called, as he mulled over what to do with Donver's remains. The student had been a good one, he had to admit, and he wanted to at least try and recover part of him.

Kala smiled slyly, and holding some blueprints in her hands, she walked over to begin repairing her old enemy. Her handle as agent 3 had not been used since she finished fighting Octavio for the second time. Huh. She actually thought she could have peace for a while, when she left all those Octolings alive, and now she was repairing one.

Life is weird.

Her niece, a young inkling barely above age five, watched on in concern. She was far too young to be in this war. She wanted to help, so Kala let her help by passing her tools.

"Huh. So this is the system clipper? That has to go," Kala mused, destroying the clip which connected him to the server. "No more evil instructions for you, bucko."

It took a while to repair such a complicated machine, even with all her technical knowledge and a blueprint to go off of. She had borrowed the blueprint from Reine's pack in hopes of getting Donver back so they could use Reine's plan. It was a simple plan, really; hack the system, find the Octolings still in the system, then have her and Cuttlefish defend the base while they invaded Octo Valley and eliminated the rest.

A few more wires, and...

Click!

Everything was complete. He wasn't quite perfect, but as she couldn't reattach his leg, it was to be expected. His eyelids blinked slowly as his system reactivated. He stared up at Kala and Agent 4. He smiled gently and began speaking slowly in a foreign language.

"llohe Kala.." he said, rising to a seated position. His expression changed as he noticed he had no leg.

"Htwa ppeh aned otim gel?" He asked, pointing at his nonexistent limb.

"I couldn't recover it," Kala replied. "What are you saying exactly? I don't know what language you're speaking."

Just as he tried to explain, Reine arrived, and noticing Donver had been revived, she spoke rapidly in the foreign language, handing him a small floppy disk. Did anyone use those anymore? He must have, however, because a slot in his hand opened, and he inserted it, as if loading the information.

"Thank you, Reine," he said, mesmerised. "I should apologise. I should have realised you were a human right away." He lifted himself, and reaching out to her, Reine allowed him to balance with her shoulder. She dug through her pack again and handed him a walking stick, much like Cuttlefish's, which he gratefully accepted.

"I have enlisted the aid of a friend," Reine announced, as she briefed everyone on the plans. "He has agreed to help us in our upcoming fights. Regardless, I expect that we will soon have to begin-" she was cut off by a loud interruption coming from the sewer system.

"Ahhh Savenya!" Callie cried, imitating a wild man while blasting through the grate with Marie in tow. After a brief moment of exhausted gasping, she cried, "Bad news, Gramps! Octolings on the servers! People trapped in the system! It's complete chaos and we barely managed to get here!" Marie seemed too shocked to speak.

"What happened to Marie?" Reine asked, taking over. Callie interpreted that those present were allies, and quickly explained.

"She was attacked, Miss-Species-I-don't-know-the-name-of! Flew right past her! Fwoosh!" she gave sound effects as she had her hand move speedily along her line of vision. "Still shocked from the contact! Got Scared myself!" And with this, the two ran off to begin combat.

"Alright then," Kala muttered, watching them leave. To the others, she said, "I guess we'd better begin right away!"

"Not so fast, Kala," Reine called, making her friend skid on the ground and twist around. "We still don't have enough people to fight a full-on battle. A few more should do it. Let me grab some friends, then I'll join you outside the Lobby." She ran off, and everyone except Cuttlefish and Agent 4 dispersed.

"Something bad is happening, isn't it?" she asked Cuttlefish, grabbing his thin, nerve-lined hand in hers. He nodded in acknowledgement.

"I know I say this every time," he mused, "but I really hope this is the last time."

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Reine rushed for Blackbelly Skatepark, not even stopping to phone Iko and have him prepare. There simply wasn't time right at that moment.

She hadn't expected them to begin an attack so early, and from the sounds of it Octolings moved in groups. Donver had even pointed out that if one Octoling was on the move, then all of them were undoubtedly with her. It was a big-scale invasion, and there was nothing she could do but charge in and try to eliminate the threat. She needed troops. Fast.

As she approached, she was welcomed by a familiar sight. Twisting her watch, she changed to her inkling form and jumped onto her skateboard. She flew into the arena where Roller Forest were doing a quick show.

"Hey! Girls!" She cried desperately, and immediately they all stopped and ran over.

"Hey Rei! Here to help today?" she asked, although she knew from Reine's tone it wasn't so.

"No," she replied, breathless. "I need you guys to help me. Octolings on the turf war server. Loads of people stuck there. My friends and I are trying to rescue them, but we simply don't have enough people."

"We'll help," She answered immediately, before turning to her friends. "Maya, get that Nozzlenose of yours and head for the lobby. Meiko, same for you. I'm sure your Inkbrush will come in handy." The two girls nodded and left. The smallest girl looked up at the leader hopefully.

"Ricki, stick with Rei. I'm sure you'll come in handy." The leader smiled. "Rei, we're here for you, remember that. I'll handle rescue missions, etcetera. Whatever I can do." Reine nodded, and the three left together.

As they ran, Reine suddenly remembered Iko. Pulling a small smartphone from her pocket, she dialed Iko and quickly briefed him on the situation.

"I'll be there, but don't wait for me," he replied, rustling sounds coming through the phone. "I think this is too urgent for you to wait any longer." with a click, he hung up, and Reine decided to focus on running.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

My system crackles as ink blasts graze my body. I hear footsteps following mine, from every corner, and I have no choice but to run faster, taxing my energy beyond what I thought I could cope with.

Today is not my day.

After revolting the system and being freed by a human, I thought I had hope. I now found myself screwing it all up.

Terribly.

Octolings like me had figured out I was corrupt. After I managed to hack into the Inkopolis tower system, they began to chase me all the way through cyberspace. Not what I thought I would be doing this morning. I see images of Inklings around me as I travel over the thin code which serves as a bridge. I really need to work on my balance, as I nearly trip a couple of times. What seems to be thousands of Octolings try to get to me as I run. I almost feel bad for them - only I am able to give myself speed upgrades. Quite nice, if I do say so myself.

It's not easy, being designed for evil, to do good. I know my friend, Donver, went to the inklings, but I doubt they will help me. I can only hope he lives, though if he runs into Cuttlefish he's all but dead.

A hole in the cyberspace caught my eye. If only I could reach it. It was quite a jump, but I was sure that I could make it. It would at least stop them momentarily and help me escape.

A thin bridge of cyberspace ran out about halfway. Taking my chance, I ran. I sped up. This was it, this was it, this was it...

I lift my foot in preparation. I'm nearly there. I'm practically in the air.

I trip over my bootlace.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

"Yes!" We're finally here!" Ricki gasped. It was obvious that she didn't have the best endurance, using a charger and all.

Reine surveyed her surroundings. Everyone was present. Meiko, Maya, Kala, Cuttlefish, even agent 4 showed up.

Everyone except Iko.

"Iko did say not to wait," she murmured, and deciding it was for the best, she moved out with her friends to fight.


	15. Iko's Swan Song

Iko was still a little confused. Regardless, he had gotten his way into the underlying parts of cyberspace. It was time to help wipe out the Octolings.

Making his way through the tangled inner makings of the tower's technology, he glanced around to try and locate what he was looking for. Any large human cyberspot would have its own inner operating desk, and if Iko could hack that, he would have a chance to wipe out every Octoling on the server. A chance, that is. If he could find an operating desk. Which he wasn't certain existed. And anyway he would need a host creature to find others with, and he didn't have an Octoling just hanging around that was peaceful enough to oblige to do anything he said, which kind of made his plan redundant. But when there's a chance, someone has to try, even if he had to try alone.

His sister would probably have helped him, but once she realized this would probably kill him she would insist upon taking his place. No, he couldn't let that happen. Not now. Not when his sister had a chance for happiness, after all he'd done to pain her. Why did he ever think joining that group of evil madmen was a good idea? At least now they had a chance to save the species that was on the brink of extinction because of them.

A faint glow appeared in the distance of the cyberspace. With dainty care, he tip-toed gently over, slowly making progress. Down this far, it was really hard to get back. He doubted he ever would see the light of day again.

His heart lifted as he realized he was approaching a set of monitors. This was it! He had hope! He disregarded his health and earned himself a score of bumps and bruises on his legs as he ran for the seat.

It was a simple area, just a computer interface sitting in the middle of cyberspace, with a seat in front and a Cyber scanner to its left. He quickly logged into the system and began to adjust the settings.

"Let's see...Identifier interface intact... lobby search engines go... find user ID list 24359... Yes! got it!" he smiled to himself. Teaching himself to hack a system was definitely coming in handy. He searched the tower motherboard, hoping for some sort of emergency weapon he could use...

"Bloblopper destroyer... Hydra beam... Marine Wave?" he muttered, looking at the last one in curiosity. Marine wave... Yes! A water attack! It would wipe out the system chips and destroy the unwanted intruders! Now, he just needed a subject to stand still long enough to get the wave going...

He looked to the cyberspace above him. A strange tapping noise arose, and it seemed almost like running. He looked back to the screen, and saw he only had a few minutes to initiate the system. Suddenly, a whooshing sound came, but it wasn't long before it stopped.

THUD.

Something large was on Iko's back. It was humanoid in shape and he looked up to see many more jumping over a gap above into a hole leading to Hammerhead bridge. So this was where the Octolings were invading.

Which meant that the kid that fell on him was also an Octoling.

He shoved her off his back, and he was happy to find she was unconscious. Balancing her carefully on the scanner, he initiated the system.

"Scanning..." the electronic female voice annotated, as the scanner leaped into action. Once it was done, Iko ordered it to begin the Marine Wave.

"Initiating Marine Wave in Three...

"Two...

"One."

The Octoling awoke, but stayed still. She muttered something inaudible before asking where she was.

"You're helping me protect the world, kid. Just stay there a little longer." She nodded, accepting Iko's explanation, and stayed perfectly still.

"You do realise this will kill the both of us?" she inquired, and Iko looked solemnly at her.

"I accepted death the moment I stepped foot in the lobby. But you don't deserve that..."


	16. Cyberhome

"Oh no," Reine murmured, stopping the fight. They had already gone through four maps. They were heading to Hammerhead bridge, a newer map, but it seemed that someone had decided to activate the Marine Wave. It was coming closer, and gained speed the further it got. Octolings ran as fast as they could, but none could escape. It would surely destroy the system chips in her and in Donver. It would kill them, definitely.

"Here! Take this!" Reine cried, Tossing a round object into Donver's arms. He accepted it, and before he could react, it exploded in a puff of smoke, and he disappeared.

"What'd you do?!" Ricki asked, panicky. She had held her ground, but the fight was seriously taking it out of her.

"Disconnectors! Brilliant!" Kala exclaimed, and Cuttlefish nodded in agreement. There was definitely a sort of genius in Reine's possession.

"That wave is deadly to Octolings and myself," Reine explained. "It destroys our system chips." Swiftly, she began to make her way up to the top of the area, leaping around on the metal supports surrounding Hammerhead. Her friends agreed to try and help her.

Kala took her splattershot Pro from her belt and quickly set up a path for her friend halfway up. Using her squid form, Reine sped through the ink in almost no time at all.

The wave got closer. It was a lot larger than anyone thought it would be. It seemed to cast a dark shadow over the entire bridge. Reine persevered, and after nearly getting to the top, she tried desperately to reach the highest point.

"She needs just a little more...!" Cuttlefish moaned. "Me bamboozler don't reach that far!" Realizing the desperate feel of the situation, Ricki quickly pulled out a large charger from her pack.

"E-liter 3-K Scope, reliable as always," she groaned as she heaved it up on her shoulder and tried desperately to hold it still. It was way too big for her.

"Just a little..." She quoted, peeking into the scope. Any second now... Yes, she had Reine in her reticle... now, pulling the trigger and holding it down, she waited impatiently for the charge time to finish.

"C'mon, we don't have much time!" she moaned, the charger taking forever. At long last, the shot was ready.

BANG!

It was just enough. A line of ink went up the last surface Reine could possibly climb. With a quick salute, Reine climbed to the very top, and balanced precariously at the top of the stage. The wave approached, and for a moment everyone tensed as it passed over them.

Now it was approaching Reine. One touch and she was as good as dead. It got closer..

And closer...

Barely inches away...

It scraped her toes, but she managed, just barely, to stay balanced as she dodged the oncoming wave. She smiled triumphantly as she balanced at the top of Hammerhead.

Even if she was really well balanced, no one could balance forever, and within a moment she gave in to the pressure.

"She's falling!" Ricki cried, panicking for the second time that day. Kala and the others were prepared, however. Aiming their weapons directly at Reine, they shot at her, slowing her fall. By the time she hit the ground her shirt was painted shrimp-pink and she had fainted.

"Hey, she deserved a rest anyway," Kala said, trying to be positive. "Let's just take her outside, now that we're safe." The spawn points had reactivated, signalling that things were safe again, and they decided it was time to go home.


	17. Under the Moonlight

"You think Reine'll be ok, auntie?" Agent 4 asked, looking at Reine's limp body resting outside the lobby. The Roller Forest had gone home, their job done, and now Donver was cautiously treating Reine's wounds. Kala seemed equally worried.

As Donver backed away, Reine slowly rose, blinking cautiously, looking at the sky. Her eyes readjusted to the darkness, and she stared, mesmerised, at the full moon. It was almost as if she was remembering something. She shook herself and looked to her friends. She spotted the Roller Forest walking to a café nearby, and sighed. Her eyes then traveled around the group, one face at a time, and her eyes became wide.

There was no stopping her. She quickly returned into the cyberspace, searching desperately. She ripped a speedloop into a blank area, and quickly bringing up the interface, she found Iko sitting quietly in a small corner of the cyberspace, next to a small Octoling. She feared the worst.

leaping through the shortcut, she found herself instantly at the small desk with a small monitor. The Octoling girl looked slightly broken, and seemed to be trying to comfort Iko. Reine realized that she was a traitor to the cause, and relaxed. Iko looked up and shed a tear.

"Sis, are you stuck down here now too?!" he cried, tears forming. Reine carefully wiped them away and explained.

"Father gave me the ability to make shortcuts. They only work for me, unfortunately. I promise I'll help you somehow. You may have to live here in cyberspace, but I'll do my best to make it comfortable down here." She looked to the Octoling. "You're simply stuck in cyberspace, although you can probably climb out of this small area. I suggest you win the public by helping monitor the games." the Octoling nodded happily, and satisfied, Reine left after promising to return.

The moonlight she bathed in once she left was briefly enjoyed before she turned to her friends. These friends, who believed her... they were what let her stop the great wave from returning. It was exhilarating to feel that she was finally worth something.

The Squid sisters waved from the studio, starry yellow eyes glowing with excitement. Callie mouthed the word 'Splatfest' as she pointed to a picture of a paintbrush.

A familiar face approached, rapid blaster bopping at his side. He stopped to catch his breath, and looking at them, he frowned in confusion. Everyone burst into laugher spontaneously.

"Is it just me," he pondered, "or did I miss something?"


End file.
